Towards automatic alignment of a crystalline sample in an electron microscope along a zone axis

A method is presented to use an electron microscope in transmission mode to determine the mis-tilt from a zone axis of a crystalline material. The method involves recording a number of additional diffraction patterns with incident beams tilted over 2 to 3 degrees. It is shown that an accuracy of 0.02 degree can be achieved, which is far better than that of the specimen-stage tilt axes, which is about 0.1 degree for the β-tilt.

► Beam tilt can be used to determine accurate mis-orientation from the zone-axis.
► The accuracy of the determined tilt is tunable according need down to 0.02 degrees.
► The presented method may lead the way to automatic zone-axis orientation.